Regular Columnist: Brad McGehee

Brad M. McGehee is a MCSE+I, MCSD, and MCT (former) with a Bachelors’ degree in Economics and a Masters in Business Administration. Currently the Director of DBA Education for Red Gate Software, Brad is an accomplished Microsoft SQL Server MVP with over 13 years’ SQL Server experience, and over 6 years’ training experience.
Brad is a frequent speaker at SQL PASS, SQL Connections, SQLTeach, SQL Saturdays, TechFests, Code Camps, SQL Server user groups, and other industry seminars, where he shares his 13 years’ cumulative knowledge.
Brad was the founder of the popular community site SQL-Server-Performance.Com, and operated it from 2000 through 2006, where he wrote over one million words on SQL Server topics.
In 2008, Brad attended 16 conferences/user group events, presented 26 sessions, and had 1,402 people attend them.
A well-respected and trusted name in SQL Server literature, Brad is the author or co-author of more than 14 technical books and over 100 published articles. His most recent books include “How to Become an Exceptional DBA,” and “Brad's Sure Guide to SQL Server 2008: The Top Ten New Features for DBAs,” and “Mastering SQL Server Profiler.”

This is the introductory module for the SSC Online Video Training course, Becoming a Profiler Master. In it, MVP Brad McGeHee will discuss some of the critical factors that might persuade you of the need to master this powerful SQL Server profiling tool.
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The issue of copyright for online scripts is a grey area. If a script is published without any form of copyright notice, most people assume that it is freely available for reuse. It's not necessarily the case.
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Brad McGehee provides a "career guide" for DBAs. It is intended both to help prospective DBAs find a "way in" to the profession, and to advise existing DBAs on how they can excel at their jobs, and so become Exceptional DBAs.
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SQL Server 2008 has hundreds of new features and improvements for Production DBAs, Developer DBAs, and Business Intelligence specialists…in this book I focus on what I thought were the ten most important new features for Production DBAs.
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SQL Server Profiler can troubleshoot a wide range of SQL Server issues, such as poorly-performing queries, locking and blocking, excessive table/index scanning, and a lot more. Brad's book will allow you to master the use of this versatile tool.
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Every DBA needs to give serious consideration to the level of antivirus/antispyware protection they need on their SQL Server instances, and to the performance implications of the strategy they choose.
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Being a DBA demands that you keep up with the latest technology, and conferences are one of the best ways to do that. So, despite the fact that training budgets may be shrinking, I suggest you begin lobbying your manager to attend as many SQL Server events as you can. If you can't get your company to send you to a paid conference, then try to attend one of the free ones, on your own time.
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Despite the fact DBAs are essentially protectors of an organization’s knowledge, and privy to much confidential information, there is no clearly defined set of rules and standards to help govern and guide their ethical behavior. Brad McGehee thinks it's time for some action on this issue.
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With the current economic downturn, many of us are wondering if we will still have a job by the end of this new year. Although DBAs are still in demand, no DBA job is 100% immune from layoffs. Brad suggests that now is the perfect time to invest in yourself.
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